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BOSTON, MA – The Boston Celtics and the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation today announced a partnership with the Chuck Cooper Foundation, allowing the organization to both celebrate and honor his groundbreaking legacy. Cooper will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame tonight in Springfield, MA.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to Chuck Cooper for his pioneering contributions to the Celtics, the city of Boston, the NBA and beyond,” said Wyc Grousbeck, Boston Celtics Lead Owner and Governor. “We congratulate the entire Cooper family on his induction into the Hall of Fame, and look forward to seeing this initiative properly honor and extend Chuck’s legacy to the next generation of social justice champions.”
A key feature in the partnership is the creation of a nine-month fellowship program, in which a scholarship award recipient of the Chuck Cooper Foundation will serve in the Celtics’ Community Engagement department from July to April. The fellowship recipient will work with the Shamrock Foundation on a series of bias prevention/anti-discrimination programs, including the team’s “The Playbook” initiative.
“My father’s experience with the Boston Celtics was one of the most treasured of his life, so much so that he considered himself a lifelong member of the Celtics family,” said Chuck Cooper III, President and CEO of the Chuck Cooper Foundation. “We’re grateful that we’ll have the chance to work with the Celtics to expand the impact, reach, and sustainability of our foundation’s work.”
The BCSF will also support the Chuck Cooper Foundation with an annual monetary donation of $25,000 further aiding the foundation’s vision for providing comprehensive leadership development, professional skills, and opportunities to underserved students.
Cooper and the Celtics have been linked together as trail blazers since 1950, when he became the first African American drafted into the NBA after the franchise selected him in the second round.